The present application relates to an energy shield for a radiation system. It finds particular application in the context of security imaging, where an energy shield (e.g., a lead curtain) is positioned in an entryway and/or exit of the radiation system. However, it may also find applicability in medical fields and/or industrial fields, where radiation systems employing radiation technology are configured to examine/image an object.
Today, radiation systems (e.g., also referred to herein as imaging systems) such as computed tomography (CT) systems, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) systems, projection systems, and/or line systems, for example, are useful to provide information, or images, of interior aspects of an object under examination. Generally, the object is exposed to radiation comprising photons (e.g., such as x-rays, gamma rays, etc.), and an image(s) is formed based upon the radiation absorbed and/or attenuated by interior aspects of the object, or rather an amount of photons that is able to pass through the object. Generally, highly dense aspects of the object absorb and/or attenuate more radiation than less dense aspects, and thus an aspect having a higher density, such as a bone or metal, for example, may be apparent when surrounded by less dense aspects, such as muscle or clothing.
In some radiation systems, such as systems commonly found at security checkpoints, an energy shield, such as a lead curtain, is placed at an entrance to the radiation system and/or at an exit from the radiation system. Such a shield is configured to mitigate radiation leakage to an environment external to the radiation system. Typically, such an energy shield is comprised of a plurality of flaps, and the force of an object (e.g., such as a suitcase) being guided into or out of the radiation system (e.g., via a conveyor belt) causes flaps that contact the object to move, permitting the object to enter the radiation system and be exposed to radiation and/or permitting the object to exit the radiation system.
It may be appreciated that the force required to move one or more flaps may be considerable given that the flaps are constructed of a radiation attenuating material, such as lead, and may be two or more feet in length, and thus may have a fair amount of inertia to overcome. As such, the movement of relatively light objects and/or small objects into and/or out of the radiation system may be hampered by the flaps. For example, the flaps may resist movement and cause light objects and/or small objects to be rotated, flipped, and/or pushed against other objects entering and/or exiting the radiation system. In this way, objects may become jammed within the radiation system, forcing the radiation system be to shut down while the jam is addressed, for example.